Li touches down in Ireland to work with PM on deals

Premier Li Keqiang meets with his Irish counterpart, Enda Kenny, in Shannon, Ireland, May 17, 2015. [Photo/english.gov.cn]

Premier Li Keqiang is scheduled to arrive in Brazil on Monday, kicking off his first trip to South America after more than two years in office.

Before that, the premier, accompanied by his wife, Cheng Hong, arrived in Shannon, Ireland, for an overnight stop on Sunday to meet with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and the two counterparts agreed to expand bilateral cooperation and exchanges in trade, clean energy, education and many other areas.

The China-Ireland relationship features time-honored mutual understanding and support, and the two nations have fostered a profound traditional friendship, Li said.

Beijing, he added, stands ready to work with Dublin on the basis of mutual respect and equality to deepen strategic mutual trust, strengthen bilateral communication and coordination on such major global affairs as peace, development and international governance, and achieve better and faster development of their strategic partnership for mutual benefit.

While briefing the Taoiseach about China's economic growth, Li suggested that the two countries put into full play their complementary advantages and expand trade and mutual investment.

In addition, he called for closer cooperation in agriculture, biomedicine, information technology and other areas, and more people-to-people exchanges in such fields as education, culture and tourism.

Noting that the two countries have agreed during the visit on a visa waiver deal for holders of diplomatic and service passports, Li proposed that they further facilitate the two-way travel of businesspeople, students and tourists.

China, said the premier, is glad to see that the European economy is showing more and more positive signs and the European integration process is marching forward steadily.

Reaffirming China's hope for a united, strong and prosperous European Union (EU), Li said Beijing is willing to comprehensively promote cooperation with the EU in various areas, so as to inject new vigor into China-EU relations and jointly steer the world economy toward recovery.